Mom arrested for pot while visiting son at juvenile probation camp

SAN DIMAS - A Pomona mother arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs while visiting her son at a county youth probation camp is expected to appear at Pomona Municipal Court on Wednesday.

Rhonda Gonzalez, 44, was arrested at Camp Glenn Rockey in San Dimas after deputies searched her purse and found bundles of pot and a phony medical marijuana card.

The suspect was arrested for possession of illegal narcotics and for an outstanding warrant from Bellflower.

Gonzalez was visiting her son on Saturday at the camp, which is located on Sycamore Canyon Road.

About 60 to 70 families visit the probation camp ward on the weekends. All visitors are searched by Los Angeles County Probation Department personnel.

During the past few months, probation camp officials have seen an influx in illegal drugs, primarily marijuana, in the dorm rooms of the camp, so additional action was taken, according to a news release.

Conducting searches is not unusual or unique, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Vicki Gregory,.

"Sometimes searches are done because maybe there is some information about something coming into the facility or they're suspecting maybe something is being smuggled into the facility by visitors," Gregory said.

"So like anything, and like anybody else, you presume it as an issue, you react to that and you come up with a game plan to solve the issue. For this facility there were concerns about different types of substances coming into the facility so they increased the searches."

During visiting hours on Saturday, the San Dimas sheriff's station Special Assignment Team was helping camp officials with the searches, which included cars.

During one of the searches, Gonzalez's purse was searched.

Retired law enforcement officer Bob Feliciano said it is not common for parents visiting their children to have narcotics on them.

"It's absolutely insane. If you stop to think about it, you're going to take drugs into a controlled juvenile facility?" said Feliciano, who is a professor of criminal justice at Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier.

"But it tells you about the frame of mind of what that person is doing."

Bail was set for Gonzalez at $35,000. She was booked at the Century Regional Detention Facility.